The Long Way Home
by Paladin Steelbreaker
Summary: The Third Installment in the Slayer War Series. It's about the aftermath of Slayer War. Enya's way back to a liveable life, and how it affects the rest of the gang.
1. Chapter one

Author: Paladin Steelbreaker

Title: The Long Way Home

Copyright: september 2003

Rating: PG-13 ? Definitely not more

Spoilers: Buffy: up until the end of season 3."Slayer War" and "Sending a Message". 

Keywords: Vampiric slayers.

Summary: Its all about the aftermath of "Slayer War". We see Enya's way back to a livable life, and the effect it has on others.   

Legalese: All characters except those noted below with their respective rights, properties and copyrights are the property of their respective creators, authors, owners, producers and agencies. These characters are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended or meant, and no money will be made from this story. This story may be copied in its entirety, and may be distributed as long as all copyright information remains.

The characters Enya Tompson (Death), Christopher Giles, Patrick O`Malley, The Invulnerable(Not normal Buffy),Erick Crighton, Alicia Saunders, Arthur Antonov, Constanza Gonzales, Andrea Peters. Ishmael Anderson, Rose Camden, Indra lightfoot, are mine. Did you hear that! Mine! Mine!! Mine!!! (uh,sorry. I got kind of carried away) Anyone wishing to use them may contact me at pal-o-lo@online.no

Author's Notes: this is the second of my three sequels to "Slayer War" I am afraid you'll need a fairly large handkerchief for this one. But rest assured, there are some lighter moments too, especially in the end.    

Dedications: I would like to dedicate this story, how ever amateurish, to the memory of maybe the best fan fiction writer the web has ever seen. He will be sorely missed. 

Rest in peace **_Tim Knigt._ **

If you want to comment on my story, (please, please,PLEASE!!) Compliments, or fire spitting criticism, you are welcome to mail me at this address: pal-o-lo@online.no 

And now finally on with the story:

**The Long Way Home**

**Guilt**

_Pain, Indescribable pain_

_Tears through my soul_

_My life is pain_

_As it should be_

_Cause I caused _

_Pain_

_Torment, indescribable torment_

_Tears through my body_

_My life is torment_

_As it should be_

_Cause I caused_

_Torment_

_Emptiness, Indescribable emptiness_

_Suffocates my existence_

_My life is Empty_

_As it should be_

_Cause I am_

_Death_

_I am Death, yet death is denied me_

_I am Decay, yet I am impervious_

_I am a monster, yet I am weeping_

_There is no mercy, yet I am relieved_

_Darkness enshrouds me, as it should_

_Cause I am_

_Alive_

_I was a warrior of God, now the devil is laughing_

_I made myself above all and everything_

_Now I am the lowest of creatures_

_As I should be_

_Cause I erased _

_Life_

_August. 4. 2014. Location: Sunnydale California_

_The House of Rupert and Joyce Giles._

_02.30.a.m._

Joyce woke up, as she heard the old but not forgotten sounds of her daughter escaping from the window in her bedroom. Buffy never had realised how her footsteps resonated from the roof and down to her mother's bedroom. 

For a moment the fear that had been ingrained in her for 17 years made her heart jump into her throat. But then she calmed down, as she remembered tonight. The pleasant family evening they had. Buffy was back for good, and Joyce had complete faith in her daughters ability to control the demon that lurched within. She had seen that control been exercised under extreme circumstances. And she knew what it took to break that willpower. Still a remnant of worry lingered in her. And she got out of bed carefully, so not to wake Rupert. 

She looked at him for a moment. He looked remarkably boyish there he laid in peaceful sleep. He really was the sweetest man alive. She didn't understand how she could ever have misunderstood what she felt for Hank as love. It was nothing like what she felt for Rupert. Of course she cared for Hank, after all he gave her Buffy, and now after Buffy returned, he had really tried to be there for his daughter. So they had managed to settle their old differences, except on one account. He had still trouble dealing with the supernatural. She guessed he really didn't have what it took to deal with that. 

She silently snuck into the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of milk, and had to smile by the note fastened on the milk bottle. 

**_Don't worry mom, I'm going out for a talk with Willie the wimp. And then I'm going on a patrol. Don't worry. I just have some thinking to do. With Enya, Xander and the whole thing with The Council. I have some major decisions to make in my life now. Thanks for a fantastic evening and I'll see you guys in the morning.   _**

Well, Joyce thought. It seems as if I was wrong. Buffy did know, and she also knew that her mother would worry. Joyce smiled to herself; she never had understood her daughter's tendency to downplay her own intelligence and perceptiveness. Joyce knew now, that very few things escaped her daughter. She sat down by the kitchen table, thinking about the last two months. Yeah, things had really changed lately. After the fight against Death, all of their lives had been changed tremendously, but this time for the better. Buffy was back. She still had to pinch herself to believe it. Her little daughter was back. Only she wasn't a little girl anymore. She had become a beautiful kind-hearted and courageous woman. And she was held to be one of the best in her field of work. Her work.... Joyce couldn't help worry for her, even though she knew that her daughter were virtually immune to physical harm. 

With her "Mothers Heart" Joyce knew that Buffy deep down was all too vulnerable. She had seen the pain when she told about some of her missions. She knew her daughters pain when she came too late to stop somebody from getting hurt, or killed. Her thoughts were disrupted by the pitter-patter of not so small feet on the floor. 

"Hi mom. I see you couldn't sleep either." Ashley slumped down on a chair. "You are thinking of Buffy, aren't you?"  

She nodded, and took a sip of the milk. Then she looked up at her son. "I know it is stupid, but I do worry about her. Even though she probably is the most powerful being in the world, she **_is _**vulnerable. In here," she said and poked her fist to the hart. "Those times she has slept over here, I have noticed her ragged look in the morning. And I know, I just know, that she isn't sleeping well. She is still blaming herself for what The Invulnerable did. And it is so wrong." 

She became quiet for a while. Then she ruffled Ashley's hair. "But what about you, why can't you sleep?  Are you afraid of her?" 

"No, no! That's not it. It took a while, but now the fear is gone. I still don't think of her as my sister though. Not yet. I mean with the age difference and that I only have known of her for a couple of months. And yes, sometimes I feel a bit awkward towards her because of what she is, and what her demon has done in the past. I feel like I'm having trouble figuring her out. But I have come to consider her a very good friend. No, it is something different that's keeping me awake tonight. Whenever I look into her eyes, I see the same sadness. She may smile and laugh. She may even be in a genuinely good mood, mom. But deep down, there's always this sadness and deep pain, an unfathomable pain. And I can't help thinking, if Buffy still feels like this. Even after 17 years, and especially the last couple of months. How much worse mustn't it be for Enya? There must be something we can do for her. What can I do?"  

Joyce could feel tears of pride water her eyes, as she saw the fire in her son's eyes, the same fire that she had seen time after time in her daughter. And she knew then, with fear in her heart that Ashley too, was to become a Warrior of the Light. 

"I don't know." She then managed to croak out. "We just have to give them our full support and friendship. To be there, if they need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to talk to, and hope it will ease at least some of their pain." 

"Yeah," he said after a while. "I guess that's all that we can do. And that's what I'll do then. Thanks mom," he said as he stood up. "I think it helped just to say out loud what I was thinking of, so I guess Ill head back to bed. Night mom." 

"Night sweetie," she said as she followed her son's example and went back to bed. 

_August 4. 2014. Location: The Council's Tower_

_Outside The City of Swansea, Wales._

_02.30.a.m._

Finally...At long last he was finished with the days work. Christopher Giles tiredly rubbed at his eyes and grabbed for his trench coat. Ever since his health had allowed it, he had spent insanely long workdays rebuilding The Council. And before that, Wesley had done an excellent job substituting for him. Now they finally could see an end to the work. 

As he walked out of the only partially finished council headquarter, he thought of all that had happened for the last two months. Miss Summers and Mr Harris had become a couple, as he had suspected they would. He prided himself in being a good judge of people. And if two people ever were attracted towards one another, it was they. They had moved together, and it was decided that they would adopt Enya Thompson. Who ever was better to take care of her now, than the only person to ever go through the same? 

But still he had been unsuccessful in finding her a Watcher. He would have become her Watcher himself, if he only had time. In fact he wanted to but, as said, he just didn't have the time for it".

 His recovery had given him lots of time to think. After long talks with Enya, Miss Summers and Mr O'Rourke he felt he had a deeper understanding of their special situation. When thinking of what they had gone through he had an unfamiliar feeling of helplessness. With all the resources he had to his disposal, he felt as if it was nothing he could do to ease their pain. And he realized with great sadness that The Council was to blame for much of it. 

The Council was originally meant as a support network for The Slayer, and, as he looked back at the history of The Council, he realised that they in many ways had done the exact opposite, in a megalomaniac search for power over and through The Slayer. They had taken the Slayers away from friends and family, basically everything that made their lives worth living. They had treated them as a tool to be used and thrown away.

 Somewhere over the years they had lost sight of the main reason for them existing as an organisation. The reason both Slayers and Watchers existed, to protect the earth against The Darkness. And he was deeply ashamed that he had participated in this crime. He had refused to see that his brother was right, that the old ways had to be changed. And it had led humanity to the brink of Armageddon. That was a burden of guilt he would never be relived of. 

The only thing he could do was to attempt to atone for his sins with trying to change what was wrong. With the help of Rupert and Wesley, he had worked out a plan that the younger Watcher had eagerly started up on. And when Christopher finally was back, he continued where his second in charge had come. Together the three of them had started reforming The Council in a way never seen since The Society of Watchers broke apart from The Council, about thousand years ago. 

They had gone to the other extremity, with a strict rule of non-interference just observation of The Immortals. Something that in Chris's opinion was just as wrong. There never would be too much interference, as long as it was done in the best interests, be it for Slayers, or Immortals. They may be supernatural beings, but they were not omnipotent, as time had shown so bitterly. Many a Slayer and Immortal had died because the two organisations had looked the other way, instead of helping out.   

 He was brought out of his thoughts by the familiar tingling down his neck. The telltale sign that there was a vampire nearby. He reached under his coat and drew out a revolver-sized crossbow. He inserted a small wooden arrow and searched the deserted street, and there, right underneath a streetlamp she stood. Trying to fool some horny bugger. She couldn't be the brightest one though. In a City, that tactic could have been successful. But here, in the outskirts of a small old-fashioned British town, she would have as much chance of luck as a Chihuahua trying to get lucky with a St. Bernard. He rapidly walked towards her and as he could see the bloodlust in her eyes, he fired. Bull's eye! For a moment her eyes went wide open in shock, before she disintegrated. 

"Stupid bitch," he muttered as he continued on his way home. 

Yeah, they had really changed things. The first thing done, was to change the name of the Organisation to The Slayers Council. The Watchers had kept their title. But the way they were trained was entirely different. Every Watcher were ingrained that they protect the Slayer with all means at their disposal. To help her any way they could. Be it fighting by her side, preparing her for what she was up against, or simply be there for her, if she went through a rough time. 

They were also taught basic psychology, to help the Slayer deal with traumatic ordeals.  Adding to this they had to go through extensive physical training, endurance, strength, martial arts, and weapons use. And not only the traditional weapons as stakes, swords, holly water and so on. Fire guns, rocket launchers, grenades, and computers. You name it. 

The same went for the Slayer and the potentials. But now the potential Slayers got to keep contact with their family and friends. If possible a Watcher trained her in her home environment. And if not, she would be sent to a newly built training facility for shorter periods of time. Either way it all was with the knowledge and approval of their parents, who were given thorough insight in the situation, as well as proof that vampires and demons really exist. 

When it came to the current Slayer, things were somewhat different. Since she was married to Angel O'Rourke she managed pretty much on her own. But Rupert acted as a Watcher for her if needed.  

Christopher smiled to himself, as he entered his house and walked up the massive staircase, towards his bedroom.  Even though all this was in the starting phase, they had achieved a lot the last couple of months. And they were constantly coming up with new ideas of how to make The Council better. 

Yeah, things were looking good indeed. 

_August 4. 2014. Location: Sunnydale. _

_One of many Graveyards._

_02.30.a.m._

Leaving Willy`s Bar, Buffy went straight for the nearest graveyard. Praying for some action. The last week she had felt like bursting from pent up frustration until she just had to get away from it all. Thank God for Xander. It was he that had suggested that she take a trip to Sunnydale. Saying he could take care of Enya for a while. But she had refused. Saying that she couldn't leave Enya, while she was in the state she was now. However' he wouldn't listen to her, telling her that she had to take a little care of her self too. Or else she would end up incapable of helping Enya at all. He had made her realise that she had steadily been wearing herself out, in her attempt of helping Enya. That she had to let him help her. After all, they were a team now, he reminded her of. And after a long discussion she had agreed, not without a certain amount of relief.

Being with her family had showed to be just what she needed. She felt better, already before she went visiting Willy. But still she was carrying this feeling of being inadequate, of don't measuring up to the task of taking care of Enya. She felt so helpless. What she wanted was to make it all go away, but she couldn't. Enya had to go through all of this on her own. The only thing Buffy could do was to be there, and make sure Enya didn't hurt herself too much. And even that Buffy needed help with. Yeah, she had learned once and for all, that no matter how powerful one was, one needed a little help sometimes. And looking back, she knew that she couldn't have had better help.  

After the fight against Death, she had taken Enya home with her. The girl had cried for three days in a row, and then entered a catatonic state where she refused to drink or eat. It had gotten to the stage, that Buffy had been forced to take extreme measures. With the help of Xander she had been able to force feed Enya enough, so that she didn't wither away completely. And slowly she seemed to wake up. Xander was a constant support during this time. Helping out every day, even though Buffy said she could handle it herself. As Enya started to eat by herself and began to move around in the house, Xander uttered the hope that things had started to go the right way. 

But Buffy knew better, now they were in for the worst part. As Enya now slowly regained her strength, she became increasingly depressed and self-destructive. And the day Buffy found her in the bathroom in the process of slicing her wrists, the elder Slayervampire felt it as if someone had ripped out her heart. Through a brutal onslaught of memories, she fought Enya for the knife. It had ended with Enya desperately stabbing Buffy in the stomach. For a short moment, Buffy had lost control of her self, and knocked the younger woman out cold. She had stopped herself just short of dealing a killing blow. 

Buffy's face lit up in a soft smile, as she remembered what had happened then. Somehow she had managed to get herself to the phone, and called Xander. That was when Xander had decided to move in. Without hesitation he had packed a few things, and come straight over. She had tried to stop him, but that was like trying to stop a tidal wave. When Alexander Lavelle Harris went into hero mode, he became unstoppable. And God Bless him for that. 

If it weren't for him, she would have given up a long time ago. Together they had managed to monitor Enya twenty-four seven. And Xander's gallows humour had made the memories easier to handle. He had helped her deal with old unhealed wounds, and thereby made her stronger. But it was a whole other game with Enya. She seemed hell-bent on self-destruction. And they really had to watch out, as she became more and more inventive. 

But a small good sign was that she had stopped resisting them violently, after the fight where she had stabbed Buffy. She seemed terrified by the thought of something like that happening again. She was now showing an unnerving self-control, never showing any sign of real emotion. Except her constant suicide attempts, that is.  

In spite of all the pain and worrying, Buffy had found herself more and more attracted to Xander. And their relationship had deepened for every day until now; the depth of their love scared her. Compared to this, what she once felt for Angel was nothing but a teenage crush. She now knew what real love was, and it scared her out of her wits. 

What if she messed everything up, like she had done before? Every one of her former relationships had ended badly, most of them as federal disasters. She had had a couple of boyfriends at Hemery. But neither of them had staid for a whole month. And when she came to Sunnydale, there was only Angel, by far her longest relationship. And that it didn't go well, had to be the understatement of the century! And the seventeen years since she returned to the land of the living, those years had been an endless fog of alcohol and one-night stands. Only disrupted by her assignments and a few guys she had stayed with for a short while. But all of them had turned out to be complete bastards. 

As Buffy thought back, she felt deeply ashamed. What right had she!!! What right had she to fall in love with someone as nice as Xander? And that he reciprocated her feelings, felt like a dream. A dream she feared she would wake from any moment. It just couldn't be true. Yet it was. The look in Xander's eyes was surely that of love. Buffy just couldn't understand why. Still she had to believe him. Her heart beat faster as she remembered what had happened a week ago. 

It had been a particularly long and gruelling day, with Enya going into overdrive on the suicide front. And adding to that, were her own emotional turmoil when it came to her feelings for Xander and Angel. It had been a shock to her system, to wake up that morning to realise that she had fallen for Xander. Fallen hard, and that the only feelings left for Angel, were those for a very dear friend. It had literally turned her world upside down. 

Enya had at last worn herself out, and was now sleeping soundly. Well as soundly as she could anyway. Buffy tiredly walked out in the garden, and sat down by her fishpond. Massaging her neck. Trying to work out all the kinks and aches, when suddenly skilled fingers took over, and she felt the presence of Xander. He knew how to do this, she realised. Not without a pang of jealousy. Who had taught him? 

He was more than good. She felt all the tension leave her body, leaving her more relaxed than she had been in ages. That is, until other undeniable feelings started to stir in her. She had turned around and completely surprised him with a passionate kiss. Well one thing had lead to another and they had ended up in her bedroom. 

Afterwards Buffy had started panicking. Believing that she had done the unforgivable, the one thing that would destroy their friendship forever. It was then that Xander promptly had told her with devastating certainness, that no matter what she did, she would always be his friend. Then he had continued with telling her in no uncertain terms that he loved her and intended to marry her. But he would not propose to her, not now. Cause he knew that she was far from ready for that. He would let her set the pace of their relationship, and wait as long as it took for her to be ready. When or if that happened, was her decision. Only then would he marry her. And again he promised, that no matter what happened, they would always be best of friends. 

As Buffy now walked through the gate of one of the many graveyards of Sunnydale, she hugged her self, and her face had a look of serene joy. God! He was so sweet! Who could have thought that Xander, the foolish jokester, could evolve into a man with such insight, quiet strength and steadfast goodness? 

Buffy's smile faltered as her thoughts went back to Enya, and the now renamed Slayers Council. They had yet to find someone willing to fill the position as Enya's Watcher, and Buffy was beginning to loose hope in that regard. Even though Chris had done a marvellous job remaking The Council. It now served the purpose it was supposed to. 

An example was when Buffy a few days ago had decided to adopt Enya. Then Christopher had told her to just sit back and relax. And he would take care of everything. She didn't know what strings he had pulled. But they had to be major ones, cause only two days after her application everything was set. Well she had to hand it to him. He was one hell of an efficient administrator. And a good friend, she grudgingly had to admit. 

Any more musings over the fact that she could consider someone from the Council a friend were abruptly put on hold, as her Slayer senses popped up big time. A Razorback demon! Great!!! Finally she could let of some steam, she thought. And with that, her face lit up in a diabolical grin as she attacked the seven foot high, muscle bound monster.  

To be continued


	2. Chapter two

Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, The rest belongs to who ever owns the TV-show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or other shows that might be mentioned.   
  
Authors Note: Well, What can I say. You'll need a large towel instead of a handkerchief for this one.

ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!  
  


August 5. 2014. Location: New York.

The Summers Residence 

14.30 p.m.

The room was stripped, everything that remotely could be seen as a potential weapon was removed to the extent that it resembled a prison cell. Even the bed was replaced with a single mattress. Thick dark curtains hid the window, as if the inhabitant of the room was trying to keep the world out. Keep it away at a safe distance. And that was exactly what she had done. Not because she was afraid of the world outside. No, it was because she was afraid _for the world outside. _

She sat in a corner, knees drawn up against her chest, slowly rocking back and forth. Her bloodshot brown eyes were staring blindly into the wall, a faint shimmer of yellow showing the extent of her souls turmoil. Enya Thompson, the Slayer that had been turned into the horrible demon calling herself Death. 

Now she didn't know who or what she was. Her soul was back, tormenting her to the point that all that she wished for was to die. But she wasn't dead. Not anymore. And she wouldn't be for a long time because of that cursed Invulnerability. She had tried. By God she had tried!!! But nothing worked. That was, if she even got the chance to try. 

Why couldn't they just let her alone? Why did they always stop her? Why couldn't they wake up to reality and smell the coffee? She deserved to die. She should die. How many people had she killed, or tortured, or maimed? 

Fresh tears from a bottomless supply ran down her face, clear human tears. But she wasn't human. She wasn't the Slayer, and she wasn't a vampire. She was just a monster, an aberration, and an anomaly that should be eradicated. It was in the world's best interest that she was dead and gone. But Buffy and Xander wouldn't let her end it. They stubbornly denied her the only way to ever give her peace, constantly trying to get her to embrace life again. 

They wouldn't if they knew about her nightmares. Horrifying dreams where she slaughtered them in every possible way. They wouldn't if they knew her feelings of joy when she woke up from those dreams. Sure the joy was soon replaced with a night black conscience, but it didn't matter. She was evil to the core. 

Her captors as she called them, that was a different case. Ms Summers. Enya was actually a bit scared of her. Not that she for a second feared that Buffy would ever do her harm. No, she was far too good a person to do that. But still. She clearly remembered Deaths fight with The Invulnerable, and later when Buffy stopped her from slicing her own wrists. 

The amount of power she held was down right terrifying. She felt it that time when Death was beaten to a bloody pulp. Buffy was in an entirely different league. Enya doubted even Buffy knew the limits of her own power. And still, if Enya shifted to her second sight, she could see a blinding white aura surrounding her. 

Not that she was a saint. Far from it, she was just like other people, she could be arrogant and selfish, even mean. But her power came from the Light. Of course much of it came from being a Slayervampire like Enya. But Enya suspected most of her power came directly from the source of the Slayer powers, what ever that was. 

People said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Not so with Buffy. How she had managed to remain the kind woman she was, went beyond Enya's comprehension. Her soul had to be extremely strong. 

A sob broke its way from Enya's throat. God, how she wished she had some of that strength. But no, every day she felt her demon claw at its prison walls inside her mind. She lived in constant fear of it coming back. 

And then there were Xander. A weak smile crossed her face for a fraction of a second. Under other circumstances she would probably make a move on him. He was very good looking, had tons of charm and he was a very kind person. And that wonderfully crazy humour of his, well, it gave even her dark days a small glint of light

He was just the kind of person a girl could fall in love with. No, woman. She wasn't a teenager anymore, she remembered. But of course, as every gorgeous male, he was taken. He and Buffy were seriously a couple now. And even Enya noticed how love struck they were, in the midst of all the misery she caused. But as it was, she felt no jealousy. Just a budding friendship with Xander…and Buffy she had to admit to herself. They were really doing everything in their power to help her, something that made her feel really guilty.  

It was obvious that he and Buffy belonged together. Time was probably the one thing Enya had more than enough of. And she had started to notice their interactions. It seemed that both of them drew strength from the other to keep going on. And sometimes they seemed to communicate almost telepathically, so in tune with each other's thinking were they. 

What Enya felt, was envy. She wished she had had the opportunity to meet her own soul mate. But no, it was best if she died. She deserved to die. She should die, she reminded herself. She was evil and should die. But maybe…. No! She had to die. Any further pondering was stopped as her stomach uttered an angry protest. She looked at her watch and was almost shocked to see that it was about dinnertime. Well, she'd better go down, or else they would come up and get her, she thought as she stood up and left her room for the first time since breakfast. 

****

As she came down, she saw that Buffy was back. "So how was your trip," she asked. Buffy looked up with a happy smile on her face. "It was nice. We talked and did homely stuff around the house, and Ashley and me had a trip to the neighbourhood basket court. Kid really has a lot of talent. I had to dip into my Slayer powers to keep up with him." 

Buffy's face grew serious. "After dark, I took a trip to Willy's bar. It's about time the demon society know, that both The Invulnerable and Death has shifted sides, and that its open season on evil bastards. Besides, I had to thank him for something he did while I was bad. It's bloody incredible. Here my friends and me used to come in at least once a week and mess up his business. And quite often both Angel and I beat him up for information. Heck, even Xander did that. 

And still, when I turned bad, he went and hired a couple of assassins from The Order of Lin Kuei to protect my friends from the Taraka'ns that I sent after them. And those Lin Kuei guys are not cheap. If it wasn't for him, all I would have had to come back to was cold graves. 

After talking with Willy, I went on a patrol, before I finally went to bed. This morning we had a nice breakfast before I started back here. By the way, Ashley gave me this to give to you." Buffy handed her a card. 

_Hi there, Enya_

_Hope you are feeling better. Remember the different entity thingy. It ain`t just something we say, it is the truth. What Death did, you have no guilt in. If you want to get away from my bossy sister, and the Xander geek, and talk to someone a little less dominant and totally normal LOL, you know where to find me. I know I can't do anything to change the past, and I can't possibly understand the horrors you go through. But know this: You can count on me as a friend. And I am a darned god listener. Ever read the book MOMO by Michael Ende? I'm ready to be your MOMO anytime you want. Well apart from me being a boy instead of a girl you know. I'm perfectly happy as I am. You know, sometimes I hate my parents (almost) for giving me a name that by most people are considered a girls name. You wont believe how many jokes I have had to endure at school. I hereby charge you with the task of finding me a suitable call name. Preferably something cool. And when you feel a little better, you have to come over so that we can play a bit Basketball. I have already played against one Slayervampire, and I almost beat her. She probably told you that she had to delve a little into her Slayer powers to keep up with me. Bha, try full Slayer mode, and then some. She probably doesn't know, but her eyes were bright yellow. So here is my challenge. I'm throwing down the glove. Drag your sorry ass out of the abyss of self-pity and start training, or else it would just be too easy. Hehehehehe (evil laughter) _

_Your friend _

_Ashley Giles _

_(Aghhh, I hate my first name!!!)_      

Enya was quiet for a while. Then she looked up from the card with teary eyes. "Do you know what a treasure you have in that brother of yours?" Buffy nodded. "That letter is quite possibly the nicest thing anybody has done to me. And it hurts that I wont be able to take him up on his challenge." 

"Why not?" Buffy asked. 

"Because I don't want to hurt him." 

"What makes you think you will hurt him?" 

Enya shook her head. "I'm not like you Buffy. There isn't an hour in the day that I don't feel my demon claw at its prison walls, not to mention those awful nightmares I have every night, where I torture and kill all of you. And when I wake up, I feel the joy, the joy of killing and maiming. I have tried to get you to understand it for months now. I am evil and should be killed. You don't know how much I wish that I had your mental strength, and didn't feel the demon inside my head. But no, I feel it all the time." 

Buffy looked at her with a strange glint in her eyes. She paled and Enya could actually feel how upset she became. "Is that what has plagued you lately Enya?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Do you think I don't have nightmares? Do you thing I don't feel my demon?" A tear slipped down her cheek. "I wish you were right, but no. I too have nightmares. Sometimes I wake up next to Xander, and feel the joy of killing him in my dreams. For a split second I relish the feeling from the dream. But the moment I am fully awake, I feel awful for it. You see, I figured this out years ago. What you feel isn't your own feelings; it is the demon's. It's her only way to vent her anger, to plague you in your dreams, to try and break you. The nights are a never-ending battle between your soul and the demon. But don't worry. Your soul has help.

Remember the Slayer Spirit. You just try and relax a bit, and let it help you in the night, as it always does. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you constantly live in fear of the demon taking over, the fear itself will wear you out. Break you. And then it will be easier for the demon to come back. Just have a little more belief in your souls strength and the Slayer Spirit. The less fear you live in, the easier it is to hold the demon at bay. And the dreams will become fewer and further between.

I have one maybe once a month now. But I too had them every night in the first year. They didn't subside before I stopped letting my fear rule me. You say you feel your demon claw at its prison walls all day, but do you ever feel like you have to force it back? Think about it for a while. Do you feel like it is about to break free, or do you just fear that it will break free?" Buffy looked at Enya as surprise ran over her face. 

"I thought so. You feel your demon, and desperately try to fight it back, to make it disappear, though it wouldn't have broken free even if you didn't do anything. I'll let you inn on a little thing. The only times when the barrier that holds the demon is weakened, is when you feel extreme hate, rage, pain or fear. So you have unknowingly weakened your own defence. And when I needed The Invulnerable to fight Death, I actually had to fight to let down the barrier. 

And so it will be with you too. Just try and relax. The barrier won't disappear. Try to enjoy life again. You know you deserve it." Enya looked doubtful to that, and were about to answer, when Xander came in from the kitchen, clad in a waiter's outfit, and a white apron over his arm and a silly French hat on his head. With a horrible French accent he then informed them that: 

"The diner is served Mesdames. Tonight the house is proud to offer you an excellent Biff ala Harris, with crispy salad and cheese gratinated potatoes. Served with a nice vintage of Sprite. For the desert, chef Harris is happy to offer the house speciality. Homemade lemon mousse with whipped cream. Would Mesdames please follow me to your seats?" 

With a totally idiotic extravaganza he hooked his arms under Buffy and Enya's, leading them towards the kitchen. Enya couldn't help herself. For the first time since she came back, she threw back her head and surrendered to a major fit of laughter. And as she sat down by the kitchen table she didn't see Xander and Buffy's happy grins as they high fived behind her back.   

August 6. 2014. Location: The Councils Tower

Outside the City of Swansea, Wales

15.30.p.m.

"Christopher Giles, have you completely taken leave of the senses that God gave you!!!" "Oh God! Not again," Christopher mumbled as he saw Quentin Travers coming down the corridor with a determent face. Quentin was possibly the biggest pain in the ass, in the entire United Kingdom. The man was a fanatic of the old school. He kept complaining about the recent changes of The Council. And now it was time for another lecture. Quickly he led Travers into his office, and closed the door. "What is it this time Quentin?" "What is this rubbish about us fighting beside The Slayer? When I came to work today, that little twit Wyndham Price was waiting for me, rudely telling me to get my sorry ass down to the training room. He then proceeded to tell me that all Watchers are to be trained in combat, before he forced me through a gruelling two hours training session. Who is he to tell me to train? I am a Watcher, not a Slayer. Watchers aren't meant to fight. We are researchers, instructors and leaders of The Slayer. But we do not fight. It is against common sense. We don't have heightened powers. It never was meant for us to fight the powers of Darkness. We are above such low work. That's what we have The Slayer for. She is our tool in the fight against the Darkness that seeks to destroy mankind. You are undermining our control over The Slayer, our own superiority. Look at what happened to the Slayer Faith, that's what'll happen if we loose control over the Slayer. What bloody drug did you take, to make you let the Slayer have a say in anything. How many times do I have to say it? The Slayer is not to have a social life! It interferes with her duty. And to let her decide anything for her self is just giving her disillusions of grandeur. It makes her believe that she has something to say, that she can question her Watcher's orders. For Gods sake Christopher!!! The Slayer is nothing but a tool that we the Watchers are meant to rule! You are talking about The Slayer as if she is a human being, when she isn't. Not really. She is a weapon created for the single purpose of fighting The Darkness. The Slayer was never meant to think, she was just to follow orders. Our orders. And now you have her thinking that she can question our authority!!! You are destroying The Council, that's what you are doing! I never understood why they chose you as our leader. You are too soft and naïve. Because of you, the Council is loosing their power. If we don't rule The Slayer, pray tell, why are we here?" Christopher raised and towered over the little bastard. With a major effort he stopped himself from beating Quentin into something resembling minced meat. "Do you really want to know why we are here? Why The Council was created in the beginning? The Council was never meant to rule over The Slayer. We were meant as a support base for The Slayer. Our cause is to try and make The Slayer's life as easy as we can. We help her with research. We help her with equipment for her fight. If necessary we help her in the fight. We help her keep her friends and family safe, and if they decide to help her in her duty, we make sure they are equipped and trained for it. Shortly we do everything in our power to make sure The Slayers life is as easy and good as we can make it. That is the real purpose of The Council. And I'll tell you one more thing. You better start learning some humility; cause The Slayer is laying her life on the line for you and every person in the world. Every night she goes out in the Darkness, fighting so that the rest of the world don't have to worry about what goes bump in the night. Every night she goes out there, not knowing if this will be the night that she doesn't come home, that she will die. And what does she ask in return? Not much I am telling you. She doesn't expect a six-digit payroll. She doesn't ask for a fancy car or any other fringe benefits, although she would have deserved it. No, she goes out there risking her life every night, out of a selfless need to protect humanity. And In return she just want to be treated like the human being that she is." "That's where you are wrong" Quentin said. "The Slayer is not human." SCHMACK! Christopher's fist connected solidly with Quentin's jaw, making him stumble backwards and crying out in pain. "Now listen her you little weasel. MY TWIN SISTER WAS THE SLAYER. THE SLAYER IS EVERY BIT AS HUMAN AS YOU. Are you really this stupid? I thought every Watcher knew how a person becomes a Slayer. And certainly a former Council leader would know. At least I thought so."  "Yes I do know. When a girl becomes the Slayer, a benevolent demon possesses her." "I knew it," Christopher growled out. "You ARE a stupid asshole! God, I am glad that you quit the High Council! If you had ever paid attention at Watcher Academy, you would have learned something different.  She is the Chosen One. Not chosen by some demon, but by The Powers That Be. She is their greatest warrior, magically given the strength, skills and endurance to fight the Powers of Darkness. They don't put a demon into her, they just enhances her to the highest level possible for a human body. Am I getting through to you, or are you so daft that you can't understand the most basic of Slayer knowledge?" Quentin staggered as if Christopher had hit him again. Slowly he sat down in a chair. "My God! Are you telling me that The Slayer is a human being with ordinary feelings, needs and insecurities?"  "Give the man a cigar," Christopher muttered. "That's exactly what I am telling you. When you treated Buffy so badly, when you forced her to go through the Crusiamentum, you did that to a human being, that when fighting the undead, was used to the benefit of superpowers. Do you have any idea of the fear and helplessness she felt when facing that insane vampire? One day she could punch her fist through a concrete wall or tip a minivan over. And the next day, apparently for no reason, she couldn't lift half her weight. If it was any other Slayer she would have died when you and your bloody team lost control over the Vampire. Let me share with you a little thing I found out. Of the last ten Slayers to go through Crusiamentum, only one survived. These girls all had grown accustomed to the Slayer powers. And when they suddenly lost them, they didn't know how to fight anymore. If they had known why their powers were gone, they might have had a chance. But fighting a vampire when having a panic attack is nearly impossible. You can prise yourself lucky, that Buffy is one of the most creative thinkers in the history of Slayers. She never relayed solely on her powers. She has that rare capability of fighting and thinking at the same time. But even she just barely survived." "Oh God, oh God, oh God," Quentin whispered. Pale as a ghost he stood to his feet and stumbled out the door. Leaving Christopher mildly shocked that he actually had gotten through to the elder Watcher. Maybe there was hope for him after all.  With his head in complete chaos Quentin headed for the Chronicle Room, frantically pulling out chronicles of past Slayers, going back to the middle age. As he read he felt the beliefs that he had lived by for thirty years, crumble and fell. Leaving him with a night black conscience. What had he done in his ignorance? He had started in the Watchers not only because of family traditions, but also because of a need to do something to keep the world safe from The Darkness. And now he realised that all his adult life he had done the exact opposite. As he worked his way from the middle ages and up to present time, he saw the pattern. He saw how gradually his kind of thinking had gotten a foothold in the Council. He saw how The Slayer was treated more and more like a tool to be used and thrown away, instead of the human being she was. He saw how the life span of the Slayers got shorter and shorter. He even saw how Slayers that had protested against the inhuman treatment had been eliminated. And he cried, he cried for the first time in years. With foggy vision he went over to the computer and pulled up the file that consisted of the journal of the very first Slayer thousands of years ago. He read the first part of the translation it had taken 10 Shamballa masters 20 years to make. _I am Alika. _ _I am the chosen warrior for The Powers That Be. I am The Vampire Slayer, the one Girl in the entire world chosen to fight the forces of Darkness, which Arracastra released onto the world. That is my destiny. A destiny Alexandru is helping me adjust to. _ _The training regime he has set up for me could be considered inhumanly brutal, but I always see it in his eyes. I see that he cares, that he does this in the hope that it will keep me longer alive. And when the pain and sorrow gets too much, and I cry out in utter desolation, he is there. Supporting me and comforting me like the surrogate big brother he has become to me. _ _Only rarely he lets me see the depth of his own pain. He tries to hide it away, to act normal. But he really is just a walking talking shadow of a man. We both lost our friends and family in the disaster, but he also lost his soul mate, Elowynn. And I know if it weren't for his promise to her, to look after me, he would have taken his life. _ _Instead he is helping me in my duty. Attacking the vampires and demons with the ferocity of a crazed animal. The Vampire society is calling him The Crazed One. I suspect that every foe he fights, he pictures being Arracastra, the source of both our losses._ _ So we fight, knowing that every night could be our last. But we do not live; we merely exist, feeding our dying soul with the ever-fading memory of our homeland, that doesn't exist anymore. So much sacrifice, and yet it is worth it to see the gratitude from people we save. Death is a friend, and I will welcome it wholeheartedly. But until then, I will keep on fighting to save the lives of innocents. People that still have a chance at happiness._                    

Quentin dried his tears, and stood up. Surprised he noticed that the clock was six thirty in the evening. He had been there for three hours. A tired smile ran over his face. Finally, at long last, in the autumn of his life, he was ready to be a real Watcher. Enya had yet to find another Watcher. He would gladly take the job. But he knew that she needed someone a lot younger than him, someone that actually could help her in training and when fighting. And he knew the perfect person for it. It would be good for him too. Maybe it would help him heal old wounds. Yes, he would contact him, and convince him if it was the last thing he did. The decision made, Quentin Travers rushed out of the building, finally feeling like he really did something worthwhile.

**To Be Continued******


	3. Chapter three

Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, The rest belongs to who ever owns the TV-show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or other shows that might be mentioned.   
  
Authors Note: Well, here we go again. But luckily things are looking a little lighter now.

ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!  
  


02.September 2014. Location: New York 

Summers Residence. 

15.30 p.m.

"Hey! That's cheating," Enya screamed, as Buffy pivoted past her, levitated up to the basket, and slammed the ball through the net with a triumphant yell. "We agreed, no superpowers, remember." 

"What's the matter? Is it getting too tough for you?" Buffy grinned devilishly at her adopted daughter, letting her eyes glow bright yellow for a moment. Please, she thought. Please, please PLEASE take the bait. She felt like she had tried everything, and this idea had come out of sheer desperation. Enya hesitated for a moment, before she returned the grin, grabbed the ball, released a minor power beam at Buffy and slam-dunked the ball, while Buffy stumbled to her feet. The ball had only started to descend before Buffy telekinetically snatched the ball and again slam-dunked it. 

Xander looked on as the two women were engaged in a more and more furious game of Basket. He hid a wicked grin as he realised what Buffy was up to. She had finally found the chink in Enya's armour of self-hatred and fear. The one thing she couldn't resist. The younger Slayervampire just couldn't resist a challenge, if presented the right way. The trick was to avoid her figuring out that it was to get her to embrace life again. Cause if she did, they just as well could give up. The girl was nothing short of amazingly stubborn. 

Well three could play that game, he and Buffy had decided, as they started their campaign to get Enya to live again. At least she seemed to be over her obsession of Death. Ever since Ashley sent her that letter, she had slowly started to accept that there was nothing she could do to end her own life. But she still was determent not to like it. And she was still afraid that Death would return.  They had tried and tried, but she continued to refuse to deal with other people than Buffy, Xander and the gang. Still, a few days ago she had surprised them when they found her playing ball with her self out in the back yard. Since then, she had started spending more and more time outdoors. Either playing ball, or going for a jog. 

They found out Ashley's challenge had been eating away at her resistance, until she just couldn't help herself. If they asked her, she still refused that she was planning to play against him. But Xander had heard her muttering to herself, about Ashley having no idea who he was up against. He had done a little research, and found that she before she got turned, actually was a promising player on her school basket team. 

He watched as Buffy again, by brute force and speed, made her way past Enya and lunged for the ball. But in her haste, she miscalculated her strength, and the ball inflated with a loud bang. What the hell? Miscalculated? Not bloody likely, he thought, wondering what she was up to.   

At the same time, she kept flying through the air until she with flailing arms hit the door to the carport. The resulting hole was vaguely human shaped. It was deadly silent for a while, and then there were some incessant swearing as Buffy pulled herself up from under splinters of wood, empty paint cans and anything else she had landed in. As she came stumbling out she was like taken out of a slapstick movie. With splinters of wood, paint and oil all over her clothes and in her hair. 

"Oops," Buffy said with a tiny smile of embarrassment on her face. "I guess that's the end of the game," she stammered, looking like she was ready to sink into the ground from sheer embarrassment. But when Enya collapsed in a fit of laughter, her face twisted into a diabolical grin that quickly whipped the mirth off Enya. "Don't be so smug," she ground out in her best "The Invulnerable" voice. "I am not the one that has to buy a new ball," she said with a low chuckle. But when she saw Enya's jaw drop to the ground, totally flabbergasted,  "I got you" was all she managed to croak out, before she dissolved into a fit of laughter herself, shortly followed by Xander, that had picked up on her new impromptu plan. 

Bugger, Enya thought. I've been tricked. "Do I have to," she said in a small voice, when they finally quieted down. The last of Buffy's mirth disappeared when she saw the raw and naked fear in Enya's eyes. 

"Yes," she said with a hard voice. 

Willing the essence of what once was The Invulnerable into her voice, and barred her teeth in a sneer. "You have to. I'll give you half an hour to get out of here, or I will personally drag you with me to every football match, nightclub, concert, or any other large congregation of people I can think off." With that she turned around and left the scared girl. 

Buffy found herself standing in the kitchen, staring at her untouched glass of water, spilling over due to her violently shaking hands. Then Xander gently took the glass from her and set it on the counter, before he enveloped her in a hug, and Buffy finally let the tears free. 

"She must think I am horrible," she choked out. "But I had to push her. I couldn't let her fall into the same trap as I did. For the last weeks I have seen the signs. She is starting to live again. She has stopped trying to kill herself, and started to come out of her self-inflicted prison. But she still fears that her demon will return. She doesn't trust herself with other people. I know the feeling. I used to lock myself up in my apartment, only going out when hunger and dehydration forced me. And even then, dealing with other people was horrible. I know what she feels. Right now she feels like going to the mall is the most horrific nightmare she could think of. And she blames me, as she should. But I have to stop her irrational fears, before it grows into a full-blown agoraphobia. I just have to." 

"Shshsh, love. She will understand. Maybe not at first, but she will understand, and when she does, she will be thanking you for it," Xander murmured and kissed her. Buffy was lost in the moment of magic, as she felt all her love for him well up in her, and wash away all the bad memories and responsibilities. And for a short while, she again felt like the person she once was. Before Enya, before Spike turned her, before Merric and the Slayer gig.    

02.September 2014. Location: New York 

The Mall 

16.30 p.m.

Enya stood before the mall that someone actually had called The Mall. But the stupid choice of name was lost on her. The trip here had been horrible. As she came nearer and nearer to The Mall, her brain had conjured up more and more horrific images of what would happen when she arrived. As she now stood here, her heart was racing, and she cold sweated all over her body. Her breath came in just barely controlled gasps. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. The only thing that kept her from running away screaming, was the image of Buffy's threat. 

How could she do this to her, how could she! ! ! With the heart pounding in her throat she walked inn. Her eyes darted around. People, people, everywhere there were people. She felt her inner demon writher in excitement, as she forced herself to slowly walk amongst them, instead of running away. 

Where is that damned sports shop? She thought while she ducked and weaved through the mass of people. Time after time she stopped to check her own reflection in the windows, but everything looked normal. Still she felt as if everyone instantly saw what she was. What a horrible monster she was. Slowly her pace heightened. Until she was frantically zipping back and from, like a confused bee, just searching, and searching, with less rationality for every minute that went.  

Where were that God damned Shop!! According to the law about the inborn evilness of everything, she of course had to look through the entire first floor, and half the second before she found the blasted shop. By then she felt as if she were moments away from hyperventilation. Too big a place, too many people, too many smells, too much noise, too much everything! She was just about to burst out in a full-fledged panic when she finally saw the sign. Only to almost burst out in tears, as she saw that the shop were a combined Sports and weapons shop. In utter despair she sat down, back against the front window. She almost didn't notice the young man bending down to her. 

"Is something wrong Miss? Are you sick? Do you need a doctor? Miss!" She managed to lift her gaze and looked up into the most amazingly green eyes she had ever seen. She shook her head. 

"I, I'm not sick.  I, I just have a bad case of Agoraphobia" she managed to stammer out. He reached to help her up, but she drew violently back. 

"Relax; I am not going to hurt you." 

"That's not what I worry about," she mumbled under her breath. Somehow the man picked up on it. 

"Oh, I see. You are afraid you will panic, and hurt me. But I can assure you; I am not easy to hurt." Again he reached out his hand and held it steady, waiting. She hesitated for a moment then grabbed it. "Lets go somewhere with less space and people." 

He led her to a little restaurant across to the sports shop and found them a comfortably closed off corner table at the back. He left for a moment and came back with two cups of tea. "Here you are. My grandmother always said there were nothing like a cup of tea to calm the nerves. She never tried Oolong tea though. It's the best." 

Enya smiled grateful and grabbed the cup with both hands to keep from shaking too much. She took a sip and marvelled as the rich bitter sweetness of the broth, and the feeling of tranquillity that slowly spread through her. They sat in silence for several minutes. And she slowly gained control of herself again. He just sat there, looking at her over his own cup.  

This man that she didn't know, she didn't even know his name, made her feel comforted, and safe. He had beautiful eyes, she thought. They held such steadfast goodness, and sorrow.  Sorrow for her, and for something else. His eyes held wisdom beyond his years. Instinctively she knew this was a man that had been tested by life, and come through as a stronger person. She wished she had some of that strength, she sorely needed it, cause her own was depleted.  

"It's horrible, isn't it?" His voice was full of concern. She nodded, and he continued. "The wide-open spaces, cold and scary, all the people, the smells, the noise, the chaotic motion, everything, it becomes too much." She looked sharply up. 

"How did you know?" 

"I have been there," he said, and for a moment she saw intense pain in his eyes. 

"As a child I had it like that for a while. I refused to leave our house for half a year, until Grandma made me. And let me tell you, well you already know, it was horrible in the beginning. Thankfully it didn't stay that way." Then he smiled, "quite a coincidence for me to run into you, don't you think."  

"Yeah, well, stranger things have happened to me," she said and smiled back.  

"Me to, me to," he nodded. Then his head shot up. "Now where are my manners, my Grandma would have stripped my hide if she saw me. Allow me to present myself.  The name is Travers, Peter Travers," he said, eyes glittering of humour. She let out a weak laugh by his truly miserable James Bond impersonation. 

"Well then, I am Thompson, Enya Thompson." Her grin suddenly faded as she watched as his eyes grew big and his jaw dropped to the floor. 

"I'll be damned," he said and quickly finished his cup. "Talk about coincidences, this simply is too much." He ran his hands through his flaming red hair. "Listen, I don't know how to say this, so Ill just come out and say it. The Slayers Council sent me to become your new Watcher. And I swear, I was not following you. I just had to get some equipment and there you were, right outside the shop." 

"No! No, absolutely no! I will not go back to the Slaying. I don't dare. What if I loose control and become Death again? I will not do it, do you hear?!!!" Her voice was steadily rising into hysteria, until she staggered back, from a flat hand stroke to her chin. More shocked that he actually had dared to hit her, than for the actual hurt, which was minimal. 

"Listen Enya. The Council is not what it was. It is no longer a bunch of conceited megalomaniac bastard sons of bitches. 

Christopher Giles has done wonders. Now The Slayers Council serves the purpose it was meant to, much to the joy of the real Watchers, the ones that became Watchers to aid the world in its fight against The Darkness. The reason we exist as an organization is to protect and aid The Slayer in her calling. And as much as you wish it weren't so, you are The Slayer, and will be to your dying day, which can be quite a while, now that you are practically invulnerable." 

She started trembling as panic bubbled inside her. But again he stopped her from flipping. This time with stroking her gently over the same chin he had slapped. His eyes were boring into hers with almost hypnotic intensity. "You are The Slayer, Enya. But you are not the only one. There are three others. You don't have to fight anymore. If you don't want to you will not be forced to it. 

You have already sacrificed more than anyone has ever done for The Council. And we owe you more than can ever be repaid in a lifetime. Indirectly we are the reason you and your Watcher got turned. If we had reacted to your prayers for help, maybe none of the hell you went through would have happened. 

I was assigned to you, not to get you to fight again, but to help you in any way you should need. I have a degree in crisis Psychology, if you should need that. Or I will just be your friend and listener, if you want that. If, and I say if, you decide to start training again, I will help you with that. If you decide so, we will have nothing to do with each other. I have bought the house next to where you live. But you choose how much you will see me.

 Know this though. Whatever help you need, I will be there if you want. Anything! Company if you have to go shopping again, or fighting besides you if need be." Enya felt the strong emotions behind his words. He really meant what he said. He really truly wanted to help her. A single tear slipped down her face, as she calmed down again. 

"Thanks," was all she managed to say. 

"Don't mention it," he smiled. "Now enough of all this mushy stuff," he said, and suddenly he was infectiously chipper. "Why are you at The Mall?" 

The rest of the trip turned to be considerably less traumatic than she had feared. To her shock she found her self after a while enjoying herself. Peter went with her when she finally got to buy the basketball. In return, she helped him choosing the weapons he bought. As he said, he may not fight besides her, but he would be a fool not to arm himself when living in the near vicinity of two Slayers. Anything could crawl out of the woodwork.  After that they just walked around, talking for a while before Peter drove them back.                  

21.October 2014. Location: New York 

Summers Residence. 

14.34 p.m.

"Yeah! Great work, kiddo! That's it! Dig into that old cellar; take out those last reserves O brother of mine. You wouldn't want me to loose my bet with Xander, would you?  There is no way in hell I will cook dinner for three weeks, you hear me!" 

Buffy thought she might die from suspense. Finally the day was there. The long awaited Basket match between Ashley and Enya finally were up. And after the first round, Buffy was ready to cry. She hated cooking, and it seemed as if that was what she was going to do. FOR THREE WEEKS!!! Enya had practically demolished the poor kid, and that without using as much as a tiny shred of superpowers. She simply was too good for him it seemed. 

But then in the second round things changed. Gradually the kid had put on the pressure until everything Enya tried was met with a counter strike. And right now, the score was even. "My God! The kid is incredible, they both are," Xander said, just as exited. He stood there gawking.  

Basket would never be the same after this, he thought. It was the most nerve wrecking play he had ever seen. He was seriously starting to fear that he was loosing the bet. Now, well, if the kid won, he had certainly deserved it, and if Xander was to be honest, then he had to admit that he and the kitchen got along pretty nice. 

Five minutes later, it was all over as Ashley with the graze of a feline snatched the ball from Enya, zipped past her, and in an incredible display of agility, jumped up and slam dunked the ball, just seconds before the bell rang. 

"Yayyyy!" He shouted. "Who said white men cant jump? Na na na na nana," he sang as he performed his own version of Xander's trademark crazy lunatic dance. Arms and legs were moving spasmodically in every conceivable direction and then some. Enya laughed over his antics, as she walked over to him. 

"Congrats, kiddo. Thanks for one hell of a match. Sometimes it felt as if you were reading my mind or something. Whatever move I thought of, you had a countermove." 

"Nope," he said. "No such thing. The only thing I used was talent, lots of talent," he mock bragged. 

"Don't joke about that," she then told him. "Give it a few years and you are NBA material," she grinned, bent down and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. She grinned evilly when Ashley grew red as a tomato, and mumbled something incoherently before he escaped to the benches where his bag was.      

"Oh you are a bad, bad girl," she heard Xander's voice from behind. "You know he has a crush on you." 

"Yes, I know," she said as she turned around to Xander and Buffy. "But I think it is kind of sweet. And it's just such fun to tease him a little. Besides he knows that I know, and that he doesn't stand a chance. And he is fine with it. A couple of weeks ago, the boy made up his courage and actually asked me out on a date. I tried to let him down gently, and explain the reasons why I couldn't. You know he being too young, emotional trauma, me being just a tad interested in my Watcher. You know the whole five mile long shebang. 

He became completely silent for a while, and I began picturing him starting to cry his eyes out or something. You know what he did then? He grinned. He honest to God grinned. One of those scary devils child grins he has when he is up to something. Then he said: 

"I know, I just needed to hear it from you. Or else I would have been walking around wondering what might be, and become all messed up. And I don't want that. Thanks Enya for not sugar coating it, too much that is." 

Then he grinned again and left for basket practise." 

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, that sounds just like my brother. He always confronts the problem heads on. I dread the day in a few years time, where mom has to barricade the door to keep the girls away from him. Now lets get back home. I have iced lemonade in the fridge."      

**To be Continued**


	4. Chapter four

Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, The rest belongs to who ever owns the TV-show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or other shows that might be mentioned.   
  
Authors Note: Lets Just say, The past can come back and bite a chunk out of ones ass, no matter how powerfull one are. 

ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!  
  


_15.November 2014. Location: New York _ _The Cinema. _

_23.06 p.m._

As the movie ended a slow moving mass of people flowed out into the street, and disappeared each to theirs. Two of them were slowly walking down the road. The woman was resting her head on the man's shoulder. As they reached a red Opel Corsa, he quickly kissed her before he held the door open for her, then he got in behind the wheel. They drove in comfortable silence. No conversation necessary, just being with the other was enough. But as they neared their street, Peter noticed a frown on Enya's face, as she became restless in her seat. As he parked he turned to her. 

"So, do you want to come in for a coffee? No, no I didn't mean it that way", he said as he saw the worry on her face. "I have said it before, and I'll say it again. We are taking this as far and as fast as you want. You are in the drivers seat, as far as our relationship goes. You tell me when or if you are ready to take things further. I just got the feeling something is bothering you. Wanna come in for a coffee and talk about it?" Enya let out a little smile of embarrassment. Then she nodded. 

"Yeah, I think I need to talk to you about something."

"Now what's bothering you," he said ten minutes later as he handed her a mug of coffee.  She slowly added sugar and cream to the coffee, a delaying tactic so obvious that she cringed inwards. Then after a sip, she made up her courage. 

"Peter, for the short months I have come to know you, I have seen what a fantastic person you are. You never say a bad word about anyone. You are always polite and kind, even to people that you don't know, or you with a good reason don't like. Therefore I am a little shocked about the way you treat Buffy. 

Yeah, you are always polite, but there is a coldness, hardness about you when it comes to her. And you always seem to be in a hurry to get away from her. I hope she hasn't noticed, but I certainly have. What is it about her that bothers you so much? At first I thought it was because of her past as The Invulnerable, but then you would have had the same feelings towards me. Death was just as evil and destructive as The Invulnerable, if not worse." 

"No!!!" 

She jumped back from the intensity of his shout. 

"You are nothing like her. I wont have you comparing yourself to her!" To her shock he was shivering from suppressed rage. "That woman is the most evil, perverted, deranged bitch that has ever set foot on this world. She did things so unspeakable that you can't even imagine it. If given the choice, I would much rather face a demon of the first circle of hell, than her. I bloody well would have a hell of a lot better chance at survival!!!" 

"Peter, listen to what you are saying…" 

" No, you listen!!! You haven't seen what she can do. You haven't seen people littered around like discarded toys, young people, old people, children, ripped to shreds, just for her bloody amusement. You haven't seen the kind of Carnage she consider fun. She is the devil incarnate. She is-" 

PFWAPH!!! He reeled back from a punch to his abdomen, and a small twinge of fear coursed through him as he for the first time watched her eyes turn yellow. "So I haven't seen what a Slayervampire can do, hah? 

You don't know shit about Carnage! You were just a child when The Invulnerable ran havoc. Hell, your biggest concern was what to have in your lunch box in Kinder Garden. The same goes for me. But let me remind you, buster. The Council of Watchers, The Tower, Ring any bells? What **I** did that day, can compete with anything The Invulnerable ever did. If you were there that day, you would know. But no, you lucked out that day! You chose that day to get the bloody Flu. 

Well let me tell you about Carnage. 75 Watchers died that day. 75 Watchers and many of them with their families, died in that attack. And the families that "lucked out" and were elsewhere, were left with unimaginable pain and grief. Wives, sons and daughters lost their husbands or fathers that day." 

"But-" 

"Shut up Peter!! You want to hear about Carnage huh? Well here it is in all its gory details. I drained five Watchers that day, and felt an almost orgasmic sense of joy as their blood flowed through my body. And how many I killed! I don't know. But I did it with considerable creativity I tell you. I pulled them apart limb by limb. I tore of their heads, or stabbed out their eyes. Strangled them, and I even ripped out their still beating harts with my bare hands. 

And worse. You know what was worst. The one hideously perverted crime that made all the others pale in comparison? There was this little girl; she couldn't have been more than five.  No, shut up! You will listen to this! Do you know what I did to her? I played with her pressure points, to give the most pain possible without rendering her unconscious. And then…." 

By now Enya were shivering in violent spasms of grief. "And then…" Her feet buckled and she fell to her knees. "And then I crucified her with Railroad spikes, Just like that bastard William the Bloody, before I slit her wrists and stabbed a wooden stake through her abdomen. I left her hanging there, like some freaking perverted work of art.

So how is that for Carnage? Do I qualify for your hate now?"  Her whole body wracked in frightening sobs as she relived the horrors of the not so long ago past. 

"Do I qualify?!" 

"No, you don't. What happened at The Tower, that wasn't you! It was the demon that did all those horrible things, not you. Do you hear me, it was the demon not you." Her knuckles whitened as she fought for control, and when she again looked up at him, she was calm if still pained. 

"Exactly!" 

The word hit him harder than her fist had. "It wasn't me that did those things. I have no guilt in that. I know that now, thanks to Buffy, Xander you and the rest. Buffy didn't have that advantage. She was all by herself. For an entire year she was alone with the guilt, the fear, the pain. Can you imagine that? And still all it took was one little boy, and she fought herself back to a liveable life. I'll tell you, I would have succumbed to madness. 

Now, tell me. How was her situation different, apart for hers being so much more painful." Her still yellow eyes bore into his with merciless scrutiny, and he moaned in self-castigation. 

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I did that." 

"Well, you did." 

Then her voice turned full of concern. "Do you mind telling me why you have such trouble separating Buffy from her demon, when you have treated me kind and considerate since you first laid eyes on me?"  

"No. You deserve that. The reason I have trouble with Buffy, is because 17 years ago, The Invulnerable killed my parents right in front of me.  I was only five years old, and had to watch her break their neck, before she came at me." She gasped in shock, and spontaneously hugged him. She felt him shiver from the memories that were forever burned into him. 

"How did you survive?" 

"I don't know. I still don't know," he murmured. "But I will find out tomorrow. This can't go on anymore. I have to speak to her." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes Enya. I owe it to both of you to square things out." 

They were silent for a while. Then Enya drew back a little. "You know, in some way I am glad. Don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't want you to go through what you have, in a hundred lifetimes. But in some weird egotistical emotionally screwed up way it is good to know that I'm not the only one to have emotional hang-ups.  Does that make me a bad person?" 

"No, Enya. Its only natural, to feel more at ease with a person that you have something in common with, or whom you find out is more equal to you than you though. Nobody wants to feel like they are the only ones that have problems. It's what you do with those feelings that makes it good or bad. And I think you do fine. It only turns bad if one starts to look after, and cherish the thought of other people's problems and faults, and use it to humiliate them so that oneself can feel big." 

She sighed in relief and enveloped him in a tight hug, which he returned. Finally she had gotten it, she thought. Finally she had understood what Buffy had told her for months. She understood, and it filled her with peace of mind. There still was pain and sorrow, but most of the guilt was gone. 

16.November 2014. Location: New York The Summers Residence. 

16.39 p.m.

"Thank you for a delicious meal," Peter said as they all stood up from the dinner table. He nodded to Enya, who grabbed Xander and pulled him with her out in the garden. Buffy lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. 

"Now why do I get the distinct feeling you have something to say to me?" she asked as they walked into the living room. 

"It's because I do, Miss Summers," Peter said as he combed his fingers through his hair. "But first I want to apologize for the way I have been treating you. I hope you can forgive me when I tell you the reason why I have been so cold and intolerant to you. 

Well. here it is. The whole thing started 17 years ago," he said and watched as all colour drained from her face. "I was there. I was there when your demon attacked Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. And my parents were probably the last civilians she killed. She broke their necks right in front of me, before she went after me. To this day I don't understand why she suddenly screamed as if someone had rammed a stake into her hart, before she tore through the SWAT team that came down the corridor and disappeared. What happened? Why am I alive?" 

It became so silent, he could hear her breathing increase. Her whole body language tightened up, and just as he was about to flee, tears started flowing freely down her chins. 

"It was you? You were the little boy with the little red fire truck?" He nodded. "Oh, God!" She sat down in the sofa and curled her arms around her knees. "The reason you survived was because that was the moment when my soul started to come back. Sadly between then and when I finally was back, the pain I inflicted upon the demon, caused it to become twice as brutal. Those SWAT guys didn't stand a chance." 

She sat there slightly rocking back and forth for a while. Then she dried her eyes and looked at him with eyes that had just the slightest hint of yellow in them. "I can understand that you don't exactly feel great when you are near me. So what are we going to do about this? I hope you don't consider quitting as Enya's Watcher? Besides, I realise that you two have something going on. I fear that she feels just a bit more for you than you for her. And I would hate it for her to be hurt because of my past." 

Peter shook his head. "Miss Summers, Enya and I are taking things very slowly. It has to be like that. She is only ready for slightly more than friendship. But believe me, my feelings for her are not at all friendly. I mean, I'll always be her friend. But the simple fact is that I think I am in love with her. I would never willingly do something to hurt her. Now, for what you and me are gonna do. This might sound a bit strange, but would you please go into vamp mode for me?" 

"No! No, absolutely not!!" 

"Please, I need to see for myself that even in vamp mode you have your soul." She hesitated for a moment, before she did as he said. He watched her as she stood before him; he stood up and walked around her. 

"The Invulnerable had this aura of pure malice around her, it's not there anymore." 

"You mean this," she said, as her head dipped forwards, and her shoulders straightened and her stance became wider, more confident and athletic. And just like then, he felt this aura of murderous intent rolling off her in waves as she barred her teeth in an evil grin. She watched his eyes widen in fear as he backed up a few steps. 

Then he stopped up and shook his head. "No, it's a good imitation, but no. There is a difference. It doesn't feel as pure. Besides, you emanate more power than malice now. If I was to take a guess, I'll say that you are even more powerful now than you were then." Swiftly she shifted back to herself. 

"You are right. For some reason I don't understand, I seem to get stronger for every year that goes. Now, did it work?" 

"Yes some. But my problem here is trust. Even though I mentally know I can trust you, emotionally I can't. I know you still go patrolling. I think it would be a good idea if I went with you, learned to work with you." She thought for a while, and then she nodded. 

"Perhaps that would be a good idea." Then she got a worried wrinkle behind her eyes. "How good of a fighter are you?" He flashed her a smile, the first she had seen in days. 

"I have a black belt of fifth degree in Okinawa'n style Karate, I can hit any target with just about any fire weapon, and I can throw stakes and silver daggers with the best of them. I have been training most of my life, and my mentor was the head of the Taraka clan. Relax; I'm not talking about The Order here. It's a different line of the family. The rest of the clan disowned them four hundred years ago, and they have been enemies ever since." 

"How did you ever meet up with them?" 

"Pure coincidence. My mentor moved to USA to get away from The Order, and ended up in my neighbourhood; where I witnessed him beat the heck out of some teenage street thugs that were beating me up just for the fun of it." 

"Well, then I think it is safe to assume that you can handle yourself, and you may need all your skills. I have been informed, that some of the demon children of Death have taken a trip over the pond. Word says they are out to take down their Sire and gain her position in the vampire world. They are already in the neighbourhood. Think you are up for that much action?" 

He nodded. "How many vampires are we talking about here?" 

"There are five of her fledglings. Each of them has their own demon children. We will be facing at least thirty vampires, thereof five with powers close to those of a master vampire. I was thinking of taking them down by myself, but this makes it easier." 

He shook his head. "You are talking about taking down 30 vampires by yourself like its something you are used to." 

"It is. I usually take down about thirty vampires on a patrol. The trick is not to take them all on at the same time. When badly outnumbered, fight dirty." He surprised her with letting out a low chuckle. 

"You know, already now, I think it'll be all right. We are not so different after all. Now lets start preparing. It's only a few hours to nightfall."  

_16.November 2014. Location: New York _ _The Summer's Residence. Out in the foyer _

_16.55 p.m._

"Jeeesuss!!"  

The word was only a whisper as it worked itself over Enya's lips, as she slid down by the cabinet in which she had gone to get a scarf for her and Xander's jog. 

"Hey, where did you go Enya?" Xander froze in mid step as he saw Enya on the floor. He ran over to her. "What is it, what's wrong Enya?" She didn't answer. She just kept on repeating that one thing. 

"Jeesuuuusss!," while her eyes slowly turned bright yellow. Finally she seemed to snap out of it, as she started to silently weep. 

"What's wrong Enya," he repeated. Now really worried. She looked up at him, and finally told him what she just had heard. 

"Is it true Xander? Is five of my vampire children coming after me?" 

Xander nodded. "Yes. We don't know who it is, but they have come here with their cadre to take you out. Buffy hoped to settle the whole thing before you ever knew. But now the cat is out of the sack." 

She seemed to be struggling with herself for a moment. Then she stood up. 

"I'm going with them." 

"Are you sure, Enya? Remember that you haven't been patrolling for close to three years." 

"Yes Xander. I have to. If I'm ever gonna be able to face my own reflection, I have to. I have to know that I at least didn't let you two fight all of my battles for me, that I did something myself." 

"Okay, then we all go." He let out a low chuckle. "It'll be the world's first Slayer double date. Well, then it's about time we start preparing. Come with me, and I'll show you Buffy`s armoury."             

16.November 2014. Location: New York New York Warehouse District.  

23.30 p.m.

They stood on a rooftop, looking down on the warehouse where the vampires were. "Are you sure about this Enya?" Buffy asked. 

"Yes, I am. You and Peter attack from the front, and I and Xander attack from the back, one minute later." 

"Are you really sure you are ready for the Slayer gig again." This time it was Peter, asking her. 

"I don't have a choice. I have to face my past. What's more, the last weeks I have been feeling the need to go hunting again. My Slayer instincts are back full force, and quite frankly, they have been wreaking havoc with my sleep lately. So yeah, this is it, the point of no return." 

Peter nodded, and grinned approvingly. Buffy listened to her, and felt immense pride. She really was back. It had gone a lot faster than Buffy had expected. She knew that Enya still had a lot to struggle with. But for the first time Buffy felt sure everything would be okay. It might take time, but Enya would be okay. Buffy had to clear her throat a few times before it finally worked. 

"Okay then. Lets show those damned bloodsuckers, who owns these streets." With that, she grabbed Peter and jumped of the roof.  

_17.November 2014. Location: New York Warehouse District. _ _Inside a certain warehouse  _

_00.30 a.m._

"Now what can you tell us about Death, lackey?!" 

"I have good news, and bad news, Great Ones. I know exactly where she lives. She is at the moment living at the house of a mortal female cop. It should be easy to get to Death. The only trouble might be the cops' boyfriend, who is living there. His Name is Alexander Lavelle Harris, and used to be a close friend to the Slayer Buffy Summers." 

"Don't worry about him. He was always the weakest link in the Slayers gang," A tall and curvaceous woman with slightly Asian features said. "Now tell us the name of the cop, and where they live." 

"The cops name is Anne Summers, and-" 

"What!!!!!!" The five Vampire Masters shouted. 

"You stupid imbecile!" This time it was a high and muscular built man with features that would have made Hitler weep from joy, who spoke. "Have you no knowledge at all? The Slayer Queens name, as a mortal person was Elisabeth Anne Summers!" 

He had just barely finished his sentence, when there was a whistling sound, and the vampire lackey disappeared in a cloud of dust, hit by a silver tipped crossbow bolt. Then the five looked on in fear, as a circular area on the floor before them, started to glow. The glow intensified until it almost felt as if rays of sun hit them. Then as sudden as it started, the glow faded away. Leaving a scorched circle with the shape of a wooden stake in it. 

Fear gripped them as they all recognized the seal of a Master Vampire. But not just any vampire, no, without doubt the most feared vampire Queen in the history of The Nosferatu. And as they as one raised their heads, the doors blew open in a rain of flaming debris. Slowly she came gliding in, a couple of inches off the floor, The Invulnerable! 

"Stupid fuckers," she hissed. 

"The first rule in being a good Master Vampire is:  Know thy enemy. And you sorry chaps and dudettes haven't done your homework. That's for sure. Mess with Enya, and you will face the wrath of me, Angelus the Scourge of Europe, both of the slayers, a werewolf and a naturally born sorceress in the service of The Powers That Be. And did I mention Ripper, the only mortal warrior alive that can match the viciousness of any vampire, and that absolutely hates vampires?" 

"You do not scare me," the platinum blonde Arian said. "I do not believe the hype about you. If you were so bloody powerful, then why did you disappear, and hide away in this little neighbourhood?" 

The Invulnerable just sniggered, as suddenly a wooden stake penetrated his heart from behind. "That's because she got her soul and life back you idiot," Peter said as the vampire exploded in a cloud of dust and sparks. 

"Guards!" A short woman with hip long raven black hair shouted. 

"Oh spare your breath, you walking dustbin," Peter snorted. "All of your little demon families are gone, dead, dust in the wind, knocking at Lucifer's gate. Capiche?" 

"How… how…" she stuttered. Totally baffled by this mortal man that didn't seem one shred afraid in the presence of four Master Vampires. 

"Well, I should think them easy targets for Buffy Summers, Enya Thompson Alexander Lavelle Harris a warrior of the Light, and me. I am Peter Travers, Enya's Watcher and a fifth Dan in Okinawa`n Style Karate." As he spoke, Enya and Xander came in and now the terrible foursome was surrounded. 

Enya stepped forth. "Danila Sugorawa, Erzebeth Dragovitch, Michael Anderson, Keriwo Mobuto and the now late Siegfried Zimmerman. You five were picked out by Death, to become her generals, in the army she intended to create. She handpicked you for your unique fighting skills. All of you were warriors for The Light when you lived. Well except Siegfried. He was just a bloody Neo Nazi. Guess if she was pissed off when you guys left! Now it is time for me in some small way to make amends to your souls by releasing them." She drew a katana from behind her back, and prepared for battle. With an unnatural glow in her eyes Buffy softly started to chant, and the foursome found themselves incapable of moving. Enya looked startled at Buffy, who looked just as surprised, but gave her a slight nod, while continuing to chant. Enya nodded back. Suddenly knowing what Buffy meant her to do. 

"Danila Sugorawa, come forth and be released." Twack!!!

"Erzebeth Dragovitch, come forth and be released." Twack!!!

"Michael Anderson, come forth and be released." Twack!!!

"Keriwo Mobuto, come forth and be released." Twack !!!

As the last vampire exploded, Enya fell to her knees and the sword hit the concrete with a clang as huge sobs shook her body. Immediately she felt strong loving arms embrace her as she rocked back and forth. After a while she stopped crying, and looked up into those beautiful eyes of Peter's. "Thanks" she said and kissed him softly. 

Then she turned to the other two. "Buffy, Xander, thank you doesn't seem to cut it. You have done so much for me, that I never will be able to pay you back. And now this Buffy, did you really intend to take on all of those vampires on your own?" 

The older Slayervampire nodded. "I have done it before, and I can do it again. You may not be my daughter in blood. But I love you as if you were. Have no doubt about that. And when it comes to my family, there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect them," Buffy stated with steel in her voice. 

Enya nodded, "I believe you there. But what the hell was that chanting? I didn't know you could do magic? Well, apart from you inherent Master Vampire magic." 

Buffy shook her head. "Neither did I. The words just seem to burst up from some hidden reservoir within me. It was kind of scary. I think I will have a talk with Rupert and Christopher, or maybe Willow." 

"Yeah, do that. But for now, I vote that we go home and order tons of Pizza and Cola. For some reason I am starving." 

"Yeah, I second that," Xander said as they started walking out of the warehouse. 

Neither of them noticed the lone vampire that was curled up in the shadows, nearly insane from fear. Never had he seen a massacre like this. In half an hour forty-four vampires were simply executed, by two mortal men, The Invulnerable and Death. It was nearly dawn before he finally ran away to spread the word. Twenty-four hours later, the same thing was said in all layers of demon society. 

"Lucifer, protect us! Cause The Invulnerable and Death have become warriors of The Light!!!"  

To be continued             


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, The rest belongs to who ever owns the TV-show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or other shows that might be mentioned.   
  
Authors Note: Life is back on track. Not everything is perfect, but then again, when is life perfect. 

Authors Note: I would like to do something I should have done weeks ago. I would like to thank my beta Reader, **_The Red Dragons Order_**, for all her help with beating this story into shape.  

**_Thank you very much. _**  

But now:

ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!  
  


_28.December 2014. Location: New York _

_Summers Residence. _

_16.12 p.m._

"Do I have to come with you, Buffy?" Enya looked at her adopted mother with just barely controlled panic. "Please, I'll do anything you want. Just don't make me come with you to this party." 

"Yes Enya, you have to. It'll be good for both you and me. I know you still don't feel comfortable with large congregations of people. But sooner or later you have to face your fears. And the longer you wait, the worse it gets. Listen to me; I'm speaking from experience. I came so far that I only left my apartment when I was starving. And even then it was pure hell just setting my foot outside the door. Do you want to end up like that?" 

Enya, saw the raw emotions in Buffy's face, and knew she had lost the discussion. The older Slayervampire knew what she was talking about. "Okay, Buff, you're the boss." 

"You're damn straight I am, girl." 

"But what am I going to wear? I don't have anything to wear," Enya said, setting her hope in this last effort Fat chance! Buffy, being her usual crafty self, had foreseen every argument she possibly could have to let her off the hook. 

"Yes you do. There is a bunch of dresses up in your room. I knew I never would make you come with me to buy something partyish, and I don't know what you like. So I just as well bought a whole bunch of different ones." Enya just shook her head in defeat. 

Then she looked up. "I have wanted to ask this of you for a while. Where do you get all you money? I mean, you own this superb house, with a large garden, a Lamborghini Diablo with personal licence plates, and you have an armoury that would scare the hell out of FBI." 

Buffy smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Well it so happens that while I was bad The Invulnerable had a run in with this strange vampire that used to be a Wall Street stockbroker. Even after he became a vampire he guarded and cared for his money like a dragon his treasure trove. Well she killed him, but not before getting hold of his money, which was a couple of million dollars. After I came back, I didn't want the money, and one day I tried to throw it in the river. But again Marco was there. He asked if I had a penchant for throwing things or myself into the river. 

After I, in vague terms, had told him how I acquired the money, he thought for a while. Then he told me that since I felt that the money was basically blood money and I didn't want them, I should give them to a charitable cause. That way they would do some good. 

This was about a year after I met Marco the first time, and I had already used some of the money to keep myself informed about you guys. I hired cheap PI's who didn't ask questions, and just did what they were told to. This way I knew that Angel had started a PI business with a few employees. But he was struggling to make the ends meet. Our friendly brood boy didn't have the slightest clue about how to sell his firm to the customers.

 So I bought a fairly large share in his company, about forty percent to be accurate. The rest of the money I used to pay for an intensive advertising campaign in several big newspapers, and keep his creditors off his back, until he could establish a steady flow of clients. 

Well, it seemed that Angel was a quick study. He became quite the businessman. And as a PI, he is the best. Soon he could branch out. And now he's got branches in every major town of the states. Even Scotland Yard and FBI respect Angel Investigations. Neither of them has such a fantastic solving rate. Nearly eighty percent of the cases Angel Investigations gets are solved within half a year – he has even handled a few cases for the CIA, don't tell anyone. Its top secret. 

But to get to the point, that investment has made me a multimillionaire. Well, and the fact that I have bought a fare bit of shares in moms Art Gallery/antiques shop. So you can say that I am just about swimming in dough. Now go see if there is anything there you like. It's only a few hours until we have to be there." 

_28.December 2014. Location: New York _

_Outside Hotel Riverton _

_20.30 p.m._

"Now be nice to it, you hear that," the blonde bombshell said as she gave him the keys to the 1999 Lamborghini Diablo. "I know it isn't everyday you get to park one of these beauties, but so help me God, if I find one single scratch on it, you are a dead man." 

Richard Patterson gulped as he just nodded and moved to sit in. "Relax Richard," she said and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. 

"Hu? Do I know you?" 

"Now you disappoint me," she said with a mock frown, as the man and the younger woman with her, started to chuckle. "It's me Anne. Don't you remember me?" 

"Anne?" For a moment he just gaped. "Whoa, if it isn't the pain in the ass," he finally said. "I'll have you know," he said and turned to the two others. "That of all the undercover agents I provide with equipment, none of them goes through it the way Anne does. Once she went through three cars, two guns, twenty clips of ammo, three sets of scuba gear, and one bottle of chloroform in one case." 

Xander chuckled lightly. "You mean he is your personal…" 

"Yes Xander," she moaned in exasperation. "He is my very own personal Q. Now why are you out here in the cold Richard? Have you pissed off Joshua again?" 

"No. Believe it or not, he volunteered me to take the first shift as the parking assistant. But I'm not complaining too much. That way I will be free later on, when the party really is up and going. Now, who is this chap, and the gorgeous lady besides him." 

Buffy smiled. "This is Alexander Lavelle Harris, my fiancé." 

"Pleased to meet you, and you can call me Xander." 

"Pleasure is all mine, Xander, and congratulations to both of you. But I will tell you one thing. Treat her right or I will fall upon you like the wrath of God. Caprice?" Xander gulped as he saw the sincerity in the elder mans eyes. Buffy watched them, and an amused grin spread over her face.  

"Yeah, yeah. Cool down boys. This woman can take care of herself. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, presentations." She turned to Enya. "This is Enya Thompson, my adopted daughter. So hands off, you old pig," she growled. Her angry words were belied by the humorous grin on her face. 

Richard made a mock salute, muttered "Madam," and stepped into the car. Just before he drove off, Buffy leant forward. 

"If you promise to be careful, you can take the car for a spin, but whatever you do, don't touch the red button, understood?" He nodded, and looked like the cat that ate the canary, before he left on spinning wheels. As they walked into the hotel foyer, Xander couldn't help himself. 

"What is the red button?" 

Buffy sniggered evilly. "There ain't no red button. But you can take rat poison that Richard will work himself out, trying to find it. He is the single most curious person I have ever met." 

"But don't you fear he will harm the car in his search for the red button?" This time it was Enya that asked. 

"Nope. Give the man a wrench and a day, and he will easily strip a car down and put it together again. And as a bonus it would work better than before." They became silent for a moment. Then Buffy hooked her arms under Xander's and Enya's and walked towards the dancehall.  

Enya looked around, and had to shake her head. That any of these people could be policemen seemed impossible. These people could party. From the stage, thanks to Buffy's secret machinations, could be heard the tones from a slightly amputated version of Spellbound. But both Willow and Oz were there, dishing up with a mix of their own music and a variety of other hits. On the dance floor, things had developed into an impromptu dancing contest, with judges and everything. And people placed bets on who would win. 

On the next floor a karaoke stand was set up and a billiard championship went on. Down in the foyer and in the bar people mingled, and the walls resonated from laughter and happy voices. The general mood was so good that the panic that she had feared would come, from being around so many people, never did. She even found herself having a good time, as lots of men asked her for a dance. So many in fact, that she found herself silently thanking for her Slayervampire stamina. 

One of them, one Jake Katzenbacher – popularly called Katz – she even entered the dancing contest with. He was a damned good dancer, better than her she had to admit. And he was one of the funniest guys she had ever encountered. His wife of five years who couldn't dance, due to a broken ankle was just as funny, and Enya really enjoyed their company. Five minutes ago though, she had seen them sneak away into a corner for some heavy smooching. It was good to see that even after five years, they still were utterly and irrevocably in love with each other. 

She let herself hope that she would feel such a love one day to. Something that brought her thoughts to the only thing that was wrong with tonight, as she sat down after yet another fast paced dance with Buffy's boss Josh. She closed her eyes for a while. Peter. She missed Peter, and wished he was there. With him here, everything would be perfect. But no, he was called away on some business that had to do with the rebuilding of the Council. She hadn't seen him for three days, and wouldn't see him for two more. And she missed him like crazy! 

She opened her eyes and was about to stand up to go for the bar, when she noticed him. Clad in a suit that had to be tailored especially for him, he looked absolutely gorgeous; he smoothly manoeuvred amongst the people on the dance floor, as he worked himself towards her. Finally standing before her, she for a split second wondered if he was a figment of her imagination, but when his warm voice sent shivers of excitement down her spine she knew he was real. 

"Can I have this dance," he asked as a slow blues song started up. 

"Of course Peter, whenever you want," she whispered as she found herself enveloped in his strong arms, moving slowly to the song, resting her forehead against his broad chest. 

"I am glad you are back. I have missed you terribly." 

"So have I – missed you I mean," he said with a slight smile in his voice.

"You know what," she murmured. "I hope I don't jinx us now, but this is it. This is perfect. Four months ago, all I wanted was to die, and tonight, at least for now, my life is okay. No more than that. It's pretty darned close to perfect." 

"I am glad," he answered, holding her closer as they continued to move with the music. 

Onstage, Willow, the incurable romantic, became so moved by the sight of the two, that she had to swallow in order to continue. She sent a glance towards her husband, who abruptly lifted his eyes from the guitar and met her eyes. He smiled knowingly and nodded, before he smoothly went into a warm and heartfelt solo. 

Buffy sat outside on a bench in the small hotel garden, nursing a soft drink as she looked up at the stars. The evening had been much better than she had thought it would be. She didn't know she was so well respected amongst her fellow policewomen and men. Many of them seemed genuinely glad to see her, despite her reputation as a grumpy loner. 

She had always felt like an outsider in the force. But now she realized that that was her own fault. It was time to loosen up. She had been a cast iron bitch for far too long. She no longer had a reason to keep people away. The last six months, had been very cathartic for her. Helping Enya had allowed her to reopen and fix old badly healed and infected wounds. Yeah, life had certainly done a major turn for the better. 

Not least thanks to Xander. Some twenty minutes ago, she and Xander had won the dancing contest, after a really wild Ballroom Blitz. Closely followed by Enya and a man she didn't know.  And just before Xander went for a game of billiard with Richard and she went out here, she had seen Peter walking into the dance room. Buffy grinned. She had neglected to mention Peter's earlier return to her adopted daughter.  She bet Enya was floating on a cloud now. And so was Peter too if she wasn't mistaken. 

"It's nice to see you doing so well Anne." Joshua sat down by her side. "I must say I have been worried about you for a long time. Mr Harris must be the right guy for you if he can make such a difference." 

"Oh, yeah, you can say that again." She looked up at her boss. And he noticed that her eyes were clear and bright, with only a slight trace of sadness to them. Not clouded by pain and guilt, as they were last time he saw her.  

"For the last 17 years my life has been a bloody mess. But these last months I have been given the chance to heal some really old wounds, that never closed. And I owe it all to Xander and Enya. Boss, I was meaning to contact you right over New Year. But I might as well say it to you now. You have been my boss for ten years now, and you have been a fair and decent boss. But I cannot continue working the way I have. I have responsibilities to other people then myself now, responsibilities that has to take priority." 

He nodded in understanding. "You have a family to look after now. Anyway, I have for a long time felt guilty for using you in the worst cases." 

"Don't Josh. You are a good man, and a strong one. You may not like the decisions your job forces you to take, but you make them anyway, because they are necessary. You chose me for the worst cases because I had the best chance at succeeding. I have been given abilities that far precede those of most people, and you somehow saw that in me." 

"Huh, what do you mean?" His eyes looked wary into hers. 

"Shit," she muttered. "That one came out wrong. What I mean is that I from a very young age was trained to become the perfect warrior, for lack of a better word. That makes me able to deal with most situations. Don't feel guilt because you made use of my abilities. That is what a leader is supposed to do. Know your employees strengths and weaknesses, and use them according to that. You did what was necessary. I have never been angry with you for that. Never. 

You have always done what ever you could to make my mission easier. You even did fieldwork when I needed backup. Not many bosses would have done that. They would instead have sent someone else. I owe you greatly for last time. Five minutes later, and I would have become a murderer, and I don't think I could have lived with that." 

It became silent for a while. Then Joshua cleared his throat. "Anne, I have a preposition for you. You know that NYPD has its own undercover unit?"  

She nodded. "Yes I know, but you know what I have said about those guys. I cannot work with them. That unit has the highest amount of visits from Internal Affairs in the whole force. I don't trust any of them, not to be on the take. And it certainly hasn't become better over the years." 

He nodded. "That's the reason I have decided to terminate the whole team. You don't have to answer me right now, just think about what I'm going to say. What would you say to me if I put you in charge of organizing a new undercover unit from scratch, and then head it? You would of course be promoted in rank, get a considerable raise in salary and it would allow you more decent and steady work hours." 

"What? Are you suggesting to put me in charge of a whole bunch of people," she looked at him with incredulity. 

"Why not? I have seen enough to know that you can handle just about anything." 

"Yeah, okay there is that, but what about my people skills? When it comes to those I am like a full-grown African elephant in a small china store." 

He chuckled by her wording. "Somehow I doubt that. I don't remember seeing you piss off anyone tonight. In fact, I have never seen you so sociable. It warmed an old heart to see you finally lay of that hard-as-diamond-cast-iron-bitch image of yours. I have always felt it was just a defence mechanism, and not the real you. I am glad I was right." 

"Me to," she stated with a low chuckle. "I have been a loner for so long that I didn't know if I had it in me to act like a normal person anymore." She was silent for a while, before she stood up. "Yes, I'll do it. I'll come in first workday after New Year. Then we can talk details. Now I have to go and see how badly Xander has beaten Richard at the billiard table. I fear poor Richard is on the verge of tears." 

The next moment Joshua Peterson found himself alone. He shook his head. She really was something else. After her last assignment, he feared for her mental health. She had just gone through an ordeal that could give anyone a nervous breakdown. And he saw the signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He knew from personal experience that it took a long time, sometimes years, to heal from that. And still, here she was, a mere six months later, more full of life and energy than he had ever seen her. The way she was now, he doubted that there was any challenge too big for her. Yeah, she would do it. And he had a feeling that she was just the right one to clean out the mess. With a grin on his face, he went inside, to see if he needed to mend Richies broken ego.              

 Inside, people were slowly beginning to go home. But the diehards were still out on the dance floor, or in the karaoke bar. Buffy easily followed the sound as Xander's voice could be heard from second floor where he belted out a surprisingly good version of "Living in the city". 

"I would like to see anyone top that," he humorously said as he stepped down from the microphone. "What about you, honey?" he said and kissed her. 

"No! No way, I sing terribly. Whenever we sang in school, the teacher asked me to stop, cause I sounded like two cats fighting." 

"But Buffy, it ain't fair. You forced me out on the dance floor, even though you know I hate it." 

"Ha, you have nothing to complain about. You are a fantastic dancer. Something I still don't know what miracle made true. In school you were famous for your terrible sense of rhythm." 

"But Buffy It ain't fair." 

"I said no, besides. The only song I can is way too depressing for a Christmas party." 

"I'm sure it's okay, so it is a bit depressing; the party is nearly over anyway." 

"It ain`t a bit depressing, it is really low down crawling-around-in-the-gutter-depressing blues." 

He lifted an eyebrow and shook his shoulders."So what? Half an hour ago, someone wept themselves through "Don't Speak"." 

"No," she stated and made to go. Seeing that he didn't get anyway with arguing, he pulled out his secret weapon. (Get your minds out of the gutter folks, oops! My bad, lol.) 

"Pleeaase!" She looked into those puppy dog eyes of his, and the battle was lost. 

"Okay, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." She stepped up to the mike and drew in a couple of breaths. Then she started on the song that for some reason forever would remind her of her first love.  

**Ball and Chain**

_(Willie Mae Thornton)_

_Yeah! Alright!_

_Sittin`down by my window, _

_Honey, lookin` out at the rain._

_Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin` down by my window,_

_Baby, lookin` out at the rain. _

_Somethin` came along, grabbed a hold of me, _

_And it felt just like a ball and chain. _

_Honey, that`s just exactly what it felt like,_

_Honey, just dragging me down._

_And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now hon`, tel me why,_

_Why does every single little tiny thing I hold on goes wrong?_

_Yeah it all goes wrong, yeah. _

_And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now babe, tell me why, _

_Why does every thing, every thing._

_Hey, here you gone today, I wanted to love you, _

_Honey, I just wanted to hold you, I said, for so long, _

_Yeah! Alright! Hey!_

_Love`s got a hold on me, baby,_

_Feels just like a ball and chain,_

_Now, love`s just draggin` me down, baby, yeah,_

_Feels like a ball and chain._

_I hope there`s someone out there who could tell me_

_Why the man I love wanna leave me in so much pain. _

_Yeah, maybe, maybe, you could help me, come on, help me!_

_And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now hon`, tell me why,_

_Now tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me why, yeah,_

_And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, when I ask you,_

_When I need to know why, c`mon tell me why, hey hey hey,_

_Here you`ve gone today,_

_I wanted to love you and hold you_

_Till the day I die. _

_I said whoa, whoa, whoa!!_

_And I say oh, whoa, whoa, no honey_

_It ain`t fair, daddy it ain`t fair what you do, _

_I see what you`re doin` to me and you know it ain`t fair._

_ And I say oh, whoa whoa now baby_

_It ain`t fair, now, now, now, what you do_

_I said hon`it ain`t fair what,  hon` it ain`t what you do._

_Oh, here you gone today and all I ever wanted to do_

_Was to love you_

_Honey an` I think there can be nothing wrong with that,_

_Only it ain`t wrong, no, no, no, no, no._

_Sittin`down by my window, _

_Lookin`at the rain._

_Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin` down by the window, _

_Lookin`at the rain,see the rain. _

_Something came along, grabbed a hold of me,_

_And it felt like a ball and chain._

_Oh this can`t be in vain_

_And I`m gonna tell you one just more time, yeah, yeah!_

_And I say oh, whoa whoa, now baby_

_This can`t be, no this can`t be in vain,_

_And I say no no no no no no no no, whoa!_

_And I say whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa_

_Now nown now now now now now now now no no not in vain_

_Hey, hope there is someone that could tell me_

_Hon`, tell me why, _

_Hon`, tell me why love is like_

_Just like a ball_

_Just like a ball_

_Baaaaaaalllll_

_Oh daddy, daddy, daddy , daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy_

_And a chain._

_Yeah!_

It took a while before she realised that it was dead quiet in the room. Then it was as if a switch had been turned on, as the room erupted in cheers.  She found herself abruptly embraced by Xander's strong arms, as he said in her ear: "Whoa, that was incredible. For a moment there I thought you were channelling Janis Joplin. Tell me who that stupid teacher is, and I'll go and beat the hell out of him cause you definitely can sing." 

Then he became serious, as he led her into a secluded corner. "The song reminds you about when Angel left, don't it?" 

She looked up with worried eyes. "Yes, how did you know?" 

"The pain in your voice was so real that it only could be caused by real love, or the memory of real love. Don't worry. I know you are over him. But I also know that he was your first love. One is not supposed to forget about ones first love. The memories will follow you to your grave. Sadly for you, those memories are painful, and I am sad there is nothing I can do to hel…" 

His last word was smothered as she kissed him hard on the mouth. "You do a lot, Xander. Just having you here with me makes my day more perfect than it has ever been before. It never felt like this with Angel. When I was with him, there was always a feeling of guilt, and that something was not right. And of course there was that whole thing with me being The Slayer and him being a Master Vampire. It is really difficult to have a romantic relationship with a guy when your body prepares itself for killing him. 

Angel and I will always love each other. But I have come to the conclusion that we never were meant to be **_in _**love with each other. I have this strange feeling that I was meant to know both you and Angel, but that it was you I was meant to fall in love with. With you, everything feels right. I feel safe, and at the same time thrilled. I feel stronger, yet I am less afraid of showing weakness in front of you. You know what I mean?" 

"Yes I do, I feel the same. It is the ultimate trust. Trust that the other accepts one even if they know ones every weakness and flaw, and willingness to do the same." 

"Exactly, Xander. You know doughnut boy, I haven't told you often enough. I love you!"      

The rest of the evening went quickly. Buffy had to sing a few more times and Xander finally was defeated in billiard by Joshua, who with suspiciously few moves downed all the balls. Only afterwards he revealed that his father used to be a professional player. 

Enya and Peter…

Both Buffy and Xander had to smile as they, on the way home, looked in the mirror to the passenger seat. Star struck didn't come near describing those two. But even Xander managed to keep himself from teasing them. He knew all to well how they had it. Both he and Buffy did. His eyes met hers, and his body automatically translated their age-old language. Xander sent her a goofy grin, and sped up due to a sudden urge to get home.    

**_FINE_**             


End file.
